Media Advisory - Groundbreaking for Virginia Tech Carilion Medical School and Research Institute Today - 2:30 p.m.

The official groundbreaking for the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute will take place today (Wednesday - October 15) at 2:30 p.m.

Featured speakers include Governor Tim Kaine, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger and Carilion President Dr. Ed Murphy.

The speakers and audience will be under a large tent. A mult-box will be provided for audio.

For background information, details of state funding for construction of the school and research institute, click here.

For more information about the medical school itself, click here.

Here is a direct link to a fact sheet.

First Look Inside Carilion Clinic Outpatient Facility

If you've been following the construction of the Carilion Clinic outpatient facility at the corner of Jefferson and Reserve Avenue, you've seen the progress on the outside - here's a look at what's going on inside.

Drywall finishing and painting is already underway on the lower floors.







This is the scene on the top floor, where the metal studs are up and ready for drywall.





Here's a second floor reception desk/nurses's station








Large windows along the exterior hallways provide great views of the Riverside Center and Carilion's medical campus.

New, expanded Gift Shop open at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital

CRMH opened a new expanded gift shop on the first floor this morning. The entrance is right between the two main entrances, off the glass lobby. The shop moved into the space formerly occupied by the first floor food court (which moved to new, expanded space on the 4th floor). It will be more of a "one stop" shop for visitors, patients and employees.
Here are some highlights:
At left is a view of one side of the shop from the back, looking toward the front entrance. The shop is too big to capture with just one photograph.



Here's the pink ribbon, breast cancer
awareness corner




And of course the Hokie corner. Hopefully in a couple of years we'll be able to add a new line of Virginia Tech Carilion Medical School sweatshirts to the lineup!

Pink Parade 2008!

Fantastic, colorful and enthusiastic turnout at the 2008 Positively Pink Parade at Valley View Mall on September 27th. Proceeds from the event went to support the Every Woman's Life program, providing free mammograms to women in need.
Thanks to all who participated!

Photo Gallery
(click to view larger picture)

Construction Continues on New Carilion Giles Community Hospital

Work continues on the new Carilion Giles Community Hospital.
Check out the progress reports and a photo gallery by clicking on the picture or going to:

newgileshospital.blogspot.com.

CONSULTANTS IN CARDIOLOGY JOINING CARILION CLINIC Will bring expanded service, streamlined care

ROANOKE, Va. (August 25, 2008) Consultants in Cardiology (CIC), the largest cardiology practice in Southwest Virginia, will join Carilion Clinic on January 1, 2009.

“We have a 35-year history of providing excellent patient care, and a long and successful relationship with Carilion,” said CIC Cardiologist Jeffrey Todd, MD. “We’ve evaluated the option of joining the Clinic for the past two years and determined it is the best choice for our patients and our practice. This new relationship will open up opportunities for expanded patient services and enhance our ability to continue to improve patient care in the year’s to come”.

“This is an important milestone in Carilion Clinic’s ongoing initiative to provide patient-centered, streamlined care to the region,” said Ralph Whatley, MD, Chair of Medicine for Carilion Clinic. “We’re extremely pleased these excellent physicians have chosen to join us, and look forward to a long and successful collaboration for excellent patient care.”

In addition to cardiology services already offered by the group, such as angioplasty and pacemaker, stent and defibrillator implants, the new Carilion Clinic cardiology group will also participate in developing a Congestive Heart Failure Clinic with the Department of Medicine, an atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) treatment center, expanded imaging services, health screenings, and an expanded Regional Heart Alert Program.

Patients of Carilion Clinic cardiologists will experience the benefits of being on the system-wide electronic medical record (called EPIC, recently launched by Carilion). Cardiologists will be part the Clinic’s interdisciplinary approach to develop clinical protocols and programs that improve care. Carilion’s ability to recruit more cardiologists to meet the future needs of the community will also be enhanced.

CIC’s 100-member team, including physicians, mid-level practitioners and support staff will all join Carilion Clinic. The practice will remain in its current location at 127 McClanahan Street in Roanoke.

The move will be transparent for CIC patients, who will receive more information by mail in the next few weeks.

Patient Safety - An Inside Look at What Hospitals do to Prevent Medical Mistakes

Recent tragic situations involving the blood-thinning medication Heparin is spotlighting the issue of medication errors in hospitals. Recently 14 infants in Texas received overdoses of the drug. The problem has been identified as a "mixing error in the hospital pharmacy" Actor Dennis Quaid's twins received overdoses of Heparin, reportedly do to similarities in the labels on drugs of different strengths.

Click below for an inside look into the pharmacy of Carilion Clinic's Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Pharmacy VP and Hospital Medical Director Anthony Slonim, MD, shows reporter Lindsey Ward the procedures and technology in place to help prevent errors such as this from occurring.